8 Years of Silence
by FlowerChild22
Summary: Max's voice now, instead of growing louder like he expected, was strong and detached, making it sound much worse than if she screamed. Each word was like a stab to his heart, over and over, ripping open his chest and tearing his heart apart.


**So when I heard this song and read the lyrics, I couldn't help but think that it was written specifically for Max and Fang in _Fang_ and _Angel. _And then it started to talk about blood running in each other's veins and I _knew _I had to write a one shot.**

**Yes, I did post this as a part of my _Fang and I _oneshot collection, but I felt that this deserved to stand alone.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Maximum Ride_ or _8 Years of Silence. _They belong to James Patterson and The Scene Aesthetic respectively.**

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><p><strong>8 Years of Silence<strong>

_I remember that day you left without notice  
>Abandoned your heart and your home<br>So I'm singing to break these eight years of silence  
>That I've learned to lead on my own<em>

"You left. You left our family, the Flock and you left _me_. Nothing but a note." Max blinked furiously to kept her tears at bay and pointed to Fang then herself. It was the most emotion she showed in eight years, and the Flock were both relieved and worried at that fact. "And to think I loved you. That you _loved_ me."

Fang winced at Max's cracking voice and took every one of Max's words, like a blow to his chest, his heart. He felt horrible – no, that word didn't even begin to describe it – that _he _was the cause of Max's pain, her suffering. She steadied herself, and slammed down the walls that she had built over the years.

"You abandoned me. You abandoned our _family_ and _replaced us _with a new family and tell us that you'll meet us in twenty years, if you're even alive, and now you come back expecting us to work with a bunch of mutants you recruited?" Max's voice now, instead of growing louder like he expected, was strong and detached, making it sound much worse than if she screamed. Each word was like a stab to his heart, over and over, ripping open his chest and tearing his heart apart.

"Max, I—"

"_No, _Fang." She held up a hand and looked to his 'family' who all pretended like they weren't eavesdropping on Fang and Max's dispute. Just like how the Flock were pretending not to behind Max.

"Max. Please." His desperation was seeping through this usual wall, a surprise to his new friends and his old family.

It pained Fang to see Max react like this. Cold and reserved, as if she didn't smile anymore, as if she didn't belong to him – he couldn't think that anymore, he had no possession over Max – as if she wasn't the Max he knew and loved. He wished she was angry; _anything _to show him that she was just as fiery as she used to be, a trait of hers he loved her for.

Truth was Max wasn't the Max she used to be. She stuffed her emotions deep inside of her, turning into a hollow shell, no life inside of her, no passion, no anger, no happiness, nothing. And the fact that she wasn't even angry at him; worried him. There were no punches or kicks his way, like he expected and it was like a slap in the face.

In the years that Fang was gone, Max matured, grew into a cynical and pessimistic twenty-two year old who believed in nothing and trusted no one. If the one person in her life she trusted more than anyone betrayed her, then she saw no point in trusting anyone but herself. She learnt to depend on no one and lead her Flock only using her head, not her heart. Her heart left, the same day Fang did. And now he was back, still in possession of her heart, but she didn't want it back.

Dylan stepped forward to step between Fang and Max, but Iggy grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "No Dylan, they need to sort this out. Alone."

Dylan stood his ground for a moment, but complied. Iggy ushered the Flock into the house, leaving Max and Fang alone to fight themselves. Fang's gang too got the message, and followed the Flock into the house. Fang and Max didn't react to their leaving; they hadn't realised that they were being watched; only being able to concentrate on each other – like they always did, but this time not in the same way as they used to.

_Feeling trapped even in my own skin  
>Are you what you dreamt of becoming?<br>The man I grew up with doesn't exist  
>In his place stands a sad hypocrite<em>

"I keep asking myself whether I can trust you anymore." Max stared at him, not even wavering, her eyes strong and impassive. Fang searched her eyes for any clue into what she was feeling, but came up short.

"Max," he whispered. For the first time in years, Max didn't give in to the sound of his voice, just stared at him. "I'm still Fang."

Max shook her head. "No. You're not. Fang wouldn't break his promise. He wouldn't leave because he thought the Flock would be in 'danger'. He'd stick it out like always, and stay by my side. You, are not Fang."

"It was for your safety!" He screamed at her, his frustration for his message to be heard compelling him to raise his voice.

"My safety? _My _safety?" She stared at him disbelievingly. Finally all the bottled up anger fuelled her, and she didn't keep it in, letting it all out.

"You promised _twice _that you wouldn't leave. And you broke that promise, _twice. _Wait, let me correctthat. You came back again with your gang again, and left. _Again. _You're not the Fang I grew up with. You're just a man that smashed my heart into a million pieces and abandoned me." Her eyes never left his, and they bored into him, killing him. "You gave up. Fang would _never _give up. You wanted to give into the whitecoats. Gave into their plan. Didn't fight. Let Dylan to take your place."

_And broken hearts aren't sewn together  
>With cheap empty words<em>

"I know Max, I know." He hung his head in shame, but lifted his head to meet hers. "Let me explain."

Max crossed her arms and watched him with mistrustful eyes. She didn't say anything and Fang knew this was his chance to explain. He hesitated, now that he had the chance to explain, he wasn't sure which way he should go about it.

He took a risk, and stepped closer to her. "Can't you see? Can't you see I left you, I let you go, that I let you run into _Dylan's _arms because I love you?"

Max noticed that he used the present tense, but she didn't let it sway her. "Did you really think that was for the best?"

"Yes, I did. I still do." He took another tentative step forward. "Look what happened. Now both of our gangs are saving the world together, in our own way."

"Oh I'm sorry I wasn't saving the world in the way you wanted Fang. Maybe we should have just continued to do air shows, and have our lives at risk with every minute we flew up in the sky for anyone to shoot at us!" Max was on a roll, and she wasn't about to let up yet.

"And look what happened Fang! We _did _get shot at. Didn't see that one coming." Fang would've smiled at the fact that she was almost the Max she used to be, her old-sarcastic-self coming out, if he wasn't so focused on making Max see his way.

She continued, stepping closer to him until she was in his face, although she had to look up at him. "And now you're using the words 'I love you' to get me to forgive you? Oh no buddy," – she poked his chest – "that isn't going to work. Those words don't mean _anything _anymore."

And just when Fang thought he had reached her, she went ahead and told him that he basically had no chance of getting her to forgive him.

_This bridge burned such a long time ago  
>No signs of burnt wood, ashes, or coals<br>Had it all  
>Had it all here<br>But you left us and just disappeared_

"So everything," he asked in a soft voice, "everything we had, gone?"

Max looked away, unable to look him in the eyes. "I will never forget our past Fang. Despite how much I wished I did, I never will."

She then looked him in the eyes, her hands still on his chest. "But you left us, and that's what only matters now. What we had, we can never…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words, because no matter how angry she was at Fang, she knew that she will always still love him. More than she could ever love Dylan. There was no point in lying to herself. "We will never be the same again."

_I guess when you've lied so many times  
>You create a false sense of the truth<br>Half the blood in my veins  
>Yes, sir, I hate to say<br>Half of that blood  
>It belonged to you<em>

"How could you do it Fang?" She asked. "How could you walk away from us? My blood runs in your veins."

Fang didn't answer. He instead decided to push his luck – something he always seemed to do when it came to Max – and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. After all, Fang didn't have a way of words, only using his actions to express his feelings.

Max allowed herself to be enveloped in his arms and even rested her head on his shoulder. He permitted himself a small victory. Maybe he could get her to trust him. Maybe not fully, not to the extent she used to, but he'd try. Even if it was the last thing he did.

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><p><strong>So I decided to make the ending promising, instead of the depressing and cold ending I was planning to write.<strong>

**Read, review and listen to the song,  
>- FlowerChild22<strong>


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